Heat sink assembly

ABSTRACT

A heat sink assembly includes a base and a mounting apparatus. The base defines a stepped hole. A step is formed in the stepped hole. A cutout is defined on an edge of the base and communicates with the stepped hole. The mounting apparatus includes a bolt and a spring. The bolt defines a groove at a portion of the bolt to form an engaging portion thereof. The engaging portion passes through the cutout. The step engages in the groove of the bolt. The spring is retained around the bolt, received in the stepped hole, and abuts against the step to retain the bolt in the stepped hole.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a heat sink assembly.

2. Description of Related Art

The amount of heat generated from electronic components of computers has risen dramatically. A heat sink is usually mounted on an electronic component to remove heat generated by the component.

A typical heat sink assembly is equipped with a mounting apparatus to fix the heat sink assembly on the electronic component. The mounting apparatus includes a bolt defining a groove therein, a spring retained around the bolt, and a fastener secured in the groove of the bolt to fix the mounting apparatus to the heat sink assembly. However, because the bolt often needs to be replaced to accommodate different electronic components, the fastener must be damaged to be removed from the bolt.

Therefore, a heat sink assembly which overcomes the above-described deficiency is desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of an embodiment of a heat sink assembly;

FIG. 2 is an assembled, isometric view of the heat sink assembly of FIG. 1; and

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a heat sink assembly includes a heat sink 10 and a mounting apparatus 16.

The heat sink 10 includes a base 11, which has a bottom surface 113 configured to contact a heat source, and a top surface 115 on which a plurality of fins 13 is formed. The base 11 defines a stepped hole 14 in a top surface 115 of the base 11. The stepped hole 14 includes a large hole 143 communicating with the top surface 115, and a small hole 145 communicating with the bottom surface 113 and the large hole 143. The large hole 143 has a diameter greater than a diameter of the small hole 145. Accordingly, a step 141 is formed in the stepped hole 14 around the small hole 145. A cutout 15 is defined in an edge of the base 11 communicating with the stepped hole 14.

The mounting apparatus 16 is configured to be mounted in the stepped hole 14. Each mounting apparatus 16 includes a bolt 17 and a spring 18. The bolt 17 includes a head 171 at a top portion thereof, a shaft 172 at a middle portion thereof, and a threaded portion 175 at a bottom portion thereof. A groove 173 is defined around a portion of the shaft 172, thereby forming an engaging portion 177, which is thinner than the shaft 172. The engaging portion 177 has a wide side 178 and a narrow side 179. The width of the wide side 178 is larger than the width of the cutout 15, and smaller than the diameter of the small hole 145. The width of the narrow side 179 is smaller than the width of the cutout 15. A height of the groove 173 is greater than a height of the step 141 allowing for vertical movement of the bolt 17 in the stepped hole 14.

Referring to FIG. 2, the spring 18 is retained around the shaft 172 with a top end of the spring 18 resisting against the head 171 of the bolt 17. A narrow side 179 of the engaging portion 177 is aligned with the cutout 15. The spring 18 is compressed to position the bottom end of the spring 18 above the top surface 115 of the base. Then, the engaging portion 177 of the bolt 17 is moved into the stepped hole 14 by the narrow side 179 of the engaging portion 177 passing through the cutout 15. Simultaneously, the step 141 is engaged in the groove 173 of the bolt 17 to limit the bolt 17 escaping from the groove 173 in a vertical direction. The spring 18 is then released. The bottom end of the spring 18 is inserted into the large hole 143 of the stepped hole 14, and resists against the step 141. The edge of the large hole 143 limits the spring 18 to retain the bolt 17 in the stepped hole 14. The bolt 17 is rotated in the stepped hole 14 to move the narrow sides 179 out of alignment with the cutout 15. Thus, the bolt 17 cannot be unintentionally removed from the stepped hole 14, and the mounting apparatus 16 is mounted to the base 11 of the heat sink 10.

If the mounting apparatus 16 needs to be detached from the base 11, the bolt 17 is rotated in the stepped hole 14 to align the narrow side 179 of the engaging portion 177 with the cutout 15. The spring 18 is compressed until the spring 18 is removed from the large hole 143 of the stepped hole 14. Then, the bolt 17 is removed from the stepped hole 14 by the narrow side 179 of the engaging portion 177 passing through the cutout 15.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A heat sink assembly, comprising: a base defining a stepped hole therein, wherein a step is formed in the stepped hole and a cutout is defined on an edge of the base and communicating with the stepped hole; and a mounting apparatus comprising a bolt and a spring, wherein the bolt defines a groove at a portion of the bolt to form an engaging portion thereof, the engaging portion passes through the cutout into the stepped hole; the step engages in the groove of the bolt; the spring is retained around the bolt, received in the stepped hole, and abutting against the step to retain the bolt in the stepped hole.
 2. The heat sink assembly of claim 1, wherein the stepped hole comprises a large hole and a small hole communicating with the large hole; the step is formed around the small hole.
 3. The heat sink assembly of claim 2, wherein the engaging portion has a wide side and a narrow side.
 4. The heat sink assembly of claim 3, wherein a width of the wide side is larger than a width of the cutout, and smaller than a diameter of the small hole; a width of the narrow side is smaller than a width of the cutout to move the engaging portion in the stepped hole.
 5. The heat sink assembly of claim 1, wherein a height of the groove is larger than a height of the step.
 6. The heat sink assembly of claim 1, wherein the bolt comprises a head at an end thereof, the spring is compressed between the head and the step.
 7. The heat sink assembly of claim 6, wherein the bolt has a threaded portion, the groove is defined between the head and the threaded portion.
 8. A heat sink assembly, comprising: a base defining a stepped hole therein, wherein a step is formed in the stepped hole and a cutout is defined on an edge of the base and communicating with the stepped hole; and a bolt defining a groove to form an engaging portion thereof, the engaging portion having a wide side and a narrow side, a width of the narrow side is narrower than a width of the cutout to move the engaging portion in the stepped hole, a width of the wide side is wider than a width of the cutout to retain the bolt in the stepped hole when the narrow side is not aligned with the cutout.
 9. The heat sink assembly of claim 8, further comprising a spring retained around the bolt, inserted in the stepped hole, and abutting against the step to retain the bolt in the stepped hole.
 10. The heat sink assembly of claim 8, wherein the step engages in the groove.
 11. The heat sink assembly of claim 10, wherein a height of the groove is larger than a height of the step.
 12. The heat sink assembly of claim 8, wherein the stepped hole comprises a large hole and a small hole communicating with the large hole; the step is formed around the small hole.
 13. The heat sink assembly of claim 8, wherein the bolt comprises a head at an end thereof, the spring is compressed between the head and the step.
 14. The heat sink assembly of claim 13, wherein the bolt has a threaded portion, the groove is defined between the head and the threaded portion. 